Pencil-sharpener.



N. STAFFORD.

PENCIL SHARPENER.

APPLIGATION FILED 11111.13, 1909.

967,257., f- Patented Aug. 16;"1910.

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PENCIL-SHARPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

Application led. January 1S, 1909. Serial No. 472,778.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON STAFFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented an lmprovement in Pencil-Sharpeners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pencil sharpeners and the same is an improvement upon the device shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States, granted to me November 5, 1907, #870204, with the object as in other mechanical Sharpeners to obviate the tedious operation and smearing of the fingers usually attending the sharpening of a lead pencil with a pen-knife.

ln the device of my present invention as in the device of my said patent, the cutting blade is mounted on a carriage slidable and reciprocating on suitable guiding supports, and the edge of the blade is set at an angle to the line of its movement and this movement is at right angles to the axial line of the pencil to be sharpened.

A revoluble holder is provided for the pencil, actuated by the carriage during the return of its reciprocating movement. The pencil is positively held in and to the holder and the holder and pencil are automatically held during the sharpening operation. A fixed rest is provided for the pencil adjacent to the end being sharpened and which rest receives the thrust against the pencil in the sharpening act.

The pencil holder' is loosely mounted and of liberal area for pencils of different sizes, and all the parts are advantageously mounted on a tray or support receiving the cuttings of the wood and lead, all of which are hereinafter more particularly described.

ln the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation in partial section representing the device of my improvement. Fig. 2 is an elevation in partial section in a direction at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of the structure. Fig. 4 is an elevation and partial section at about the dotted line as, 0c, of Fig. 9.. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the pencil holding devices longitudinally of the pencil and about on the dotted line y, y, of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical section and elevation on about the dotted line c, e, 'of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a plan of the cutting blade. y

a represents the cutting blade which as Shown separately in Fig. 7 is preferably triangular in outline and provided with three cutting edges. rlhis blade is mounted upon and adjustably secured to a sliding or reciprocating carriage composed of a bracket plate D, the upright member b1, the inclined plate member b2, from one edge of which extends a cam plate 3; and 2 represents lugs secured to the under surface and opposite edges of the inclined plate b3 and receiving at opposite sides the rods c c1, which are the rods upon which the reciprocating carriage is movable.

cZ represents a base platefrom one end of which rises the end plate all, while from the other end lugs Z2 extend upward, the respective ends of the rods c c1 passing through and being riveted to the plate Z1 and the lugs d2.

rlhe triangular cutting blade a is preferably provided with equi-distant holes 3 adapted to receive the end of a screw 4t. This screw e extends through the bracket plate b to which it is secured, and its pointed end is adapted to pass into any one of the three holes 3 according to the position of the plate, and the bracket plate is preferably slotted and a screw-stem 5 passes through this slot and passes into the threaded aperture of a nut 5 while the head on the screw stem 5 takes a bearing on the under side of the cuttingblade. The nut G clamps the blade to the bracket plate and when it is desired to bring a fresh cutting edge into position the nut 6 is loosened so as to release the cutting blade, and the screw 5 is moved through the slot so as to permit the cutting blade to be given a partial rotation to bring a fresh cutting edge into position, at which time the screw l will enter another one of the holes 8 and the nut 6 be tightened down again.

In order to change the inclination of the cutting edge of the blade a, l prefer to employ a pivot screw a1 and a clamping bolt a2; the bolt passes through an opening in the `bent portion of the bracket plate b and through a slot in the plate b1 so that the lower end of the cutting blade may be raised or lowered as desired so as to change the inclination.

I employ a tray or support c provided as shown in Fig. 2, with grooves in the inner surface to receive the edges of the base plate d, in which saidbase plate carrying all of the sharpening devices, is adapted to move, and

situated beneath this base plate cl and above the lower portion of the tray or support e is a drawer e1 to receive the chips produced in sharpening the pencil.

I provide a U-shaped frame f, each upright member of which is similarly apertured, and in connection therewith and preferably as a part thereof I provide a fixed rest f1 to receive the pencil near the point thereof; the said rest f1 occupying a position at right angles to the upright members of the frame Within this frame f are frame plate members 7 and 8 provided with apertures of greater diameters than the diameters of the apertures of the upright members of the frame g represents a tubular holder through which the pencil to be sharpened is passed. This is of liberal aperture to receive pencils of dierent sizes and it is provided with a thumb-screw 9 adapted to be brought against the surface of the pencil to hold the same in position. This tubular holder is provided with end-collars which are received in the apertures of the frame plate members 7 8 whereby the ends of the collar come against the inner surfaces of the upright members of the frame 7, and in this way bearings are formed for the tubular holder g and endwise movement prevented.

g1 represents a pencil passing through the tubular holder g and on one end of this tubular holder there is formed or connected a ratchet wheel 10. Beneath the ends of the tubular holder g and against the inner faces of the frame plate members 7 and 8, I provide shell members 71, and i; in other words, plates with returned ends adapted to come against the inner faces of the plate members 7 and 8. These shell members together with the plate members 7 and 8 and the upright members of the frame are all held together in the desired relationship by rivets l1.V

The frame member f at one side is prolonged and formed with upright lugs f3, through which a pin 13 passes. There is a spring h1 in the shell member ZL, (see Fig. 6), which bears against the outer end of the tubular holder g, tending whenthe pencil is in position to cause the periphery of the pencil to bear against the U-shaped frame member f at the aperture therein.

In the shell member z' there is a pawl Z1 suitably pivoted and adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 10; said pawl being held in position of engagement with said ratchet wheel by a spring 12.

A rocker arm 7c is pivotally mounted by the pin 13 on the lugs f2 f3, and while one end of the spring 701 is connected to one of said lugs, the other end of the spring engages the rocker arm at a slot 14 formed therein, (see Fig. 1); the tendency of the spring being to elevate the rocker arm on the one hand while the reciprocating movement of the carriage and the cutter blade through the cam plate L is to depress the rocker arm; .said cam plate engaging the surface of a roller n, connected through the pin 16 to the said rocker arm at its opposite end. This rocker arm Z: is carried upward (see Fig. 4), as a frame part and to the saine is pivotally mounted a pawl Z, the forward toothed end of which engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel l0; said pawl being held to place by a spring l5. A stop pin 15 limits the upward movement of the rockt-,r arm Zt'.

The tendency of the pawls Z1 and Z and their springs l2 and 15 is to hold down the tubular holder and cause the pencil therein to rest snugly in the curved surface of the fixed rest f1.

The tendency of the spring Ztl Fig. G, at the other end of the tubular holder g is to lift this end in opposition to the direction of pull of the pawls and their springs so that the tendency is to more firmly force the sharpened end of the pencil down into the fixed rest.

In the operation of the device hereinbefore described, the movement of the carriage and cutting blade from the position shown in Fig. 1, el'iects the cutting of a portion of the wood of the pencil in sharpening the same and the lead thereof, while the tubular holder and the pencil are held by the pawl 1 and spring 12 against rotation. At the same time the movement of the cam plate b3 olf the roller n permits the spring Z111 to raise the rocker arm Z: and its pawl Z. the same over-running the teeth of the ratchet wheel and at its upper nloveinent taking ay tooth. As the reciprocating earriage and cutter blade are drawn back vfrom the extreme downward position to the position shown in Fig. l, the cam plate Z1 acting upon the roller n forces the rocker arm downward and through the action of the pawl Z turns the tubular holder and pencil to a predetermined extent, the pawl l with this turning movement over-running the teeth of the ratchet wheel 10 in a position below that occupied by the pawl Z, to a position where the pawl l takes another tooth of the ratchet wheel to hold the same, the tubular holder and the pencil against', the cutting movement in the opposite direction and the over-running tendency of the pawl Z to turn the parts.

The base plate Z1 may be of any desired shape provided for the free discharge of the cuttings in sharpening the pencil from the surface of the plate (Z into the drawer or receptacle c1, from which they are periodically removed.

The operations hereinbefore described are continuously repeated with the sharpening of each pencil, and the position of the pencil. may be quickly advanced to the position desired by simply loosening the thumbscrew 9 and by hand forcing the pencil further through the holder. The inclination given to the cutting blade and the bracket plate b by the pivot screw a1 and clamping bolt a2 determines the inclination of out in sharpening the pencil according to whether the same is to be a long or short cut, at the pleasure of the operator.

l claim as my invention:

1. In a pencil Sharpener, the combination With a reciprocating carriage and a cutting blade, of a revoluble loosely mounted pencil holding device, means for intermittently turning the same, means for preventing the reverse turning movement of the pencil and the holding device by and during the sharpening operation, and means for providing a retarding friction to and for slightly tilting the pencil holding device and pencil.

2. In a pencil Sharpener, the combination with a reciprocating carriage and a cutting blade, of a revoluble loosely mounted pencil holding device, means for progressively turning the same, means for preventing the reverse turning movement of the pencil and the holding device by and during the sharpening operation, means providing a retarding friction to and for slightly tilting the pencil, and a rest for the end of the pencil While being sharpened.

3. In a pencil Sharpener, the combination With a reciprocating carriage including a bracket plate, of a triangular cutting blade having a series of straight cutting edges for independent use and three apertures, means for clamping the said cutter blade to said bracket plate, and a screw device passing through the said bracket plate and adapted to engage one of the openings of the said cutter blade and form an additional support.

4f. In a pencil Sharpener and in combination, a revoluble pencil holdin device, a reciprocating carriage adapted 'or movement at right angles to the axis of the pencil holding device, means positioned in line with the movement of the carriage and actuated thereby for turning the pencil holding device With a step by step movement and means for preventing the reverse turning movement of the device by and during tion.

5. In a pencil Sharpener and in combination, a revoluble pencil holding device, bearing supports therefor, a ratchet Wheel on one end thereof, a spring actuated paWl engaging the same, a spring-returned rocker arm and means for positively actuating the same in one direction and a paWl mounted upon the rocker-arm and engaging the ratchet Wheel for oluble pencil hol ing device, and a spring bearing upon the revoluble pencil holding device for applying a friction to retard the turning movement of said device and for slightly tilting the same.

6. In a pencil Sharpener, the combination With a tubular pencil holder having shouldered ends, of a frame apertured at its upper ends to receive the tubular pencil holder and against which the shouldered ends of the holder contact so as to form bearings, shell members Within the frame plate members forming casings, and means for connecting the shell members to the upright members of the frame, a spring devico in the casing formed by one shell member and a spring actuated holding device in the casing formed by the opposite shell member.

7. In a pencil Sharpener and in combination, a revoluble pencil holding device, bearing supports therefor, a ratchet Wheel on one end thereof, a holding pavvl engaging the same, a rocker arm and means for posi tively actuating the same in one direction, a paivl mounted upon the rocker arm and engaging thc ratchet Wheel for positively turning the revoluble pencil holding device, and a spring bearing upon the revoluble pencil holding device for applying a friction to control the turning movement of said device.

Signed by me this 30th day of December 1908.

pencil and the holding the sharpening opera- N. STAFFORD.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINGKNEY, E. ZACHARIASEN.

ositively turning the rev- 4 

